We Coloradans already know that Democrat gubernatorial candidate and Denver mayor John Hickenlooper doesn’t think much of folks outside his liberal metropolitan jurisdiction. Now, it’s documented on video. My friend and fellow Colorado resident Michael Sandoval at National Review has the scoop on Hickenlooper’s public contempt for “backwards” rural Colorado residents — which he shared with a left-wing interviewer late last year.

Hickenlooper: I think a couple things, I mean, you know, the tragic death of Matthew Shepard occurred in Wyoming. Colorado and Wyoming are very similar. We have some of the same, you know, backwards thinking in the kind of rural Western areas you see in, you know, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico.

Interviewer: We’re neighbors.

Hickenlooper: Right. And in a sense we’re all a community. And, at the same time, Denver has, I think, one of the more robust, politically active gay and lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered communities, really in the United States.

The damning revelation comes as Hickenlooper has failed to break 50 percent in the polls and has failed to enthuse his own supporters. Via Kelly Maher at WhoSaidYouSaid:

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper spoke Tuesday at the City Club of Denver. In response to a question about the initiative process, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate described a lack of citizen enthusiasm.

“And I think the initiative process, if nothing else, does get people invested. It turns some people off but it does get some people invested. And that’s part of, I think, what we all need to do. How come there’s not 200 people in this room? Right? You’ve got the mayor of Denver who’s running for governor; be the first, I don’t know if the first ever, but certainly the first mayor of Denver who’d be elected governor of Colorado in 75 or 100 years. No one’s . . . You know, I go around the state and I don’t get huge crowds wanting [to] take apart what I said, or challenge me on various issues. There’s a certain nonchalance that people kind of . . . ‘Ah, that’s government, we don’t really have to worry about it.’ You know, it’s not, it’s not what we need.”

Big government, pro-amnesty, trash-talking John Hickenlooper’s stagnation is set against a jaw-dropping surge by the most viable conservative candidate in the race, American Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo. I endorsed him earlier this month and am actively supporting his campaign (full disclosure: I’ve donated $100 and am attending several rallies for the campaign). As I noted two weeks ago:

Plagued by mounting ethics allegations and other campaign woes, [GOP candidate Dan] Maes’ candidacy has imploded. His fund-raising is on life support and Tea Party activists who initially buoyed his candidacy are abandoning him. Some GOP bureaucrats are more worried about the Republican ballot positioning/fund-raising consequences of abandoning Maes than they are about the destructivepolicies Democrat John Hickenlooper will put in place if he wins the governor’s mansion. It’s that slavish adherence to partisan interests over principle that led to the Tea Party movement in the first place.

Voters on the center-Right in Colorado have been blessed with the time and opportunity to change course before Election Day and unite behind one viable conservative candidate with the momentum to win. Seize the moment.

GOP chair Dick Wadhams has essentially signaled to the party base that a vote for Maes is a wasted vote and that whatever party status consequences there may be if Maes falls under 10 percent (which will most likely happen), those can be dealt with after the election. That message to loyal Republicans must be spread far and wide. Yes, the road to November was rocky and circuitous, like many a Colorado trail. But the path to conservative victory is now clear — and it is eminently winnable.

Beltway GOP strategists are always lecturing conservatives to be pragmatic and get behind the most viable conservative candidate. Now is the time to put money and energy where their mouths are. The Tancredo surge, like so many surges across the country, has defied all expectations. “They said it couldn’t be done,” Tancredo is telling voters on the campaign trail. “Just watch me.”

Watch — and help Tancredo leave trash-talking Hickenlooper in the dust.

Update: A new poll just out this afternoon from Magellan Strategies (a Colorado-based polling company that serves mostly Republican clients) shows Hick at 44, Tanc at 43 and Maes falling beneath 10 percent to 9 percent.

Magellan Data and Mapping Strategies today released the results of an automated survey of 1,067 likely voters in the state of Colorado looking at the race for Governor. The findings show Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and former Congressman Tom Tancredo in a statistical tie. Among likely voters, Democrat John Hickenlooper has 44%, American Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo has 43%, and embattled Republican candidate Dan Maes has 9% support. The generic “other candidate” has 2%, and only 2% responded as undecided.

Since our Colorado Governor survey on August 25th, support for Dan Maes has plummeted from 27% to 9%, a total of 18 points. It is clear the vast majority of former Dan Maes supporters are moving into the Tom Tancredo column. Since our August survey, support for Tom Tancredo has increased from 17% to 43%, a total of 27 points. John Hickenlooper has not been able to reach the crucial 50% threshold, and has in fact dropped 2 points since our August survey, from 46% to 44%.

A few weeks ago I never would have guessed that Tom Tancredo would get a realistic shot to win the race for governor. But with Dan Maes’ continued delusional self-immolation (MP3) and John Hickenlooper’s unwanted controversies and unenthused crowds, we might just be looking at the biggest story of this crazy 2010 election season unfolding before our eyes.

– I am not O.K. with someone who wants to be governor of our WHOLE state saying there is “backwards thinking” in rural Colorado.

– I am ALSO not O.K. with someone who wants to be the chief executive of our state including Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico in that “backwards thinking.” Whoever is the next governor of Colorado will be working with the Western Governors’ Association (among many other groups) on issues of regional concern that require mutual respect.

– I live in the Capitol Hill area of Denver. When I go to events and see a vibrant LGBT community, I’m less “surprised” than the mayor sounds in this clip. Finding an enclave of people in any community who can offer support and relate to your experiences is an important part of life. When I see the LGBT community come together, I find joy in knowing they have that.

The murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998 was awful; to see that happen to any human being is heartbreaking. That, however, should not be the basis to paint any people, based on where they live, with so broad a brush as the mayor did. He should apologize.